Early Help Reviewing permanent and fixed period exclusion from school Abi Onaboye Head of Service Early Help
Early Help Service - Education Early Help staff work collaboratively with schools, council services and partner agencies to support the early identification of children and families requiring additional support. Practitioners work with families to ensure that children and young people are supported to access appropriate education that meets individual child and family needs – including supporting children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disability, and children placed in our local Pupil Referral Unit and Alternative Provision. Early Help works with schools to support families to positively engage with services to overcome: • Persistent absence and barriers to school attendance • Challenging behaviours • Risk of exclusion and youth offending
SPARK – Exploring parent views on Early Help and education Education is a huge focus and concern for parents, An Early Help service available particularly regarding child behaviour and/or Special everywhere and linked with universal Educational Needs and Disability support in schools. services: schools; GP; stay and play; parents’ groups. Parents sometimes felt schools Parents sometimes felt schools treated issues in an isolated way and Early help staff help school to understand wider family Accessible for Facilitate meetings context. all families. for families in schools, parents and education Positive promotion of Early Help services professionals from LA amongst schools – having a visual presence Mediate/advocate for or other services. to share information and avoid lack of parents in schools. knowledge of services being a barrier to accessing help.
How do Early Help services engage with education? Team Around Family process – engagement with schools as part of whole family assessment and intervention. Collaboration with education professionals throughout case work, including regular progress reviews with the family. Education Information Requests – specific information gathered from schools at beginning of intervention to inform planning (attendance; attainment; support in services/place). School Link role – All practitioners allocated to schools in borough to engage and promote the Early Help offer via Team Around School process. Youth Violence Survey (2018) – 92% Designated Safeguarding Leads in Islington schools stated they were aware of Early Help services. Parenting Programmes and Support – to support positive implementation of routines, boundaries and appropriate responses to child behaviour – this has a positive impact on school engagement and attendance. Advocacy – on behalf of family to wider professional network to ensure family and child’s views are shared.
How do Early Help services engage with education? Relationship established between Early Help and NRC PRU - facilitates appropriate information sharing when children transition between non-mainstream schools to mainstream and vice versa to. Trauma-informed Early Help staff Special Educational Needs and Disability training - All staff in Early Help have attended training to enable staff to support families with children with SEND.
Whole School Approach to Providing Early Help to Pupils Pupils Parents Whole School Systems Information from parents or pupils All Staff awareness may trigger concerns The school has rigorous systems for Team of key staff who support the DSL in implementing DSL responsibilities identifying vulnerable pupils and All staff , including non-teaching, Team of key staff who support the DSL in implementing DSL responsibilities planning support. are aware of how to identify Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) There is a safe and compassionate vulnerable pupils and follow the environment and a focus on systems in place to provide early The DSL has the knowledge , understanding , developing pupils’ life skills through a help and support. skills and time to lead this work across the whole-school approach. An essential school. They are responsible for: Information about risk and protective part of supporting vulnerable pupils in • All staff awareness All staff wareness factors school should include: • Ensuring whole school systems whole school systems are in place • Established procedures to: All staff are aware of the and appropriate agencies are involved. - Improve attendance protective factors and how identify and report concerns • The process to identify and report concerns schools and school staff can - Manage behaviour ensuring all staff Identify the right support contribute to these. - Record and monitor low-level • Receiving reported Receiving reported concerns from staff / pupils / parents / external agencies concerns All staff are aware of risk • Leading and Implementing the agreed approach • High quality, age appropriate, factors, what to look out for and regular PSHE lessons for all pupils, follow the systems in place to Checking it’s working including circle time, that reflect the flag concerns needs of the class Taking advice when there are incidents of Consider… • Regular, close communication concern and reporting where appropriate between school and agencies for • The importance of mental health Appropriately sharing information about individual and its relationship to the risk advice, consultation and planning pupils or groups with relevant members of staff factors • Regular multi-agency pastoral Keeping up to date with most recent guidance • Housing issues meetings, with key messages and local community issues consistently communicated to staff • Both pupils’ behaviours and their Liaising with external agencies circumstances • Developing effective relationships • How traumatic experiences can and partnerships with parents. • Complete Early Help affect pupils Assessment • Storing all information in one place, • F amily members with mental • Share concerns about which can be accessed by the health difficulties individuals or groups relevant, appropriate people. • Impact of parental conflict • Current issues • Monitoring and reflecting on the Information on trauma informed effectiveness of whole school approaches Families First and local systems external agencies 2
Process for Identifying and Responding to Needs 3. Multi-Agency Needs Assessment 1. Identifying and Reporting Concerns - to identify the right support All staff are confident to identify pupils who may require early help Assess needs, vulnerabilities and strengths (incl. involving Pupils Parents parents, pupils and appropriate agencies ). Consider… Information - Request more information as needed. - Children with low attendance and/or poor punctuality from parents - Information about risk and protective factors or pupils may - Children with behaviour difficulties Is the pupil at risk of harm? trigger - Families where parents are not in work Lower level concerns Insufficient info: - Families where there is parental conflict concerns: convene Yes: consult / monitor situation in team around the - Families where there is poor mental or physical health refer to discussion with child / family or xx - Families where there is a concern around substance misuse 2. Record children's parents. Continue multi-agency concerns social care to record concerns - Families who have debt meeting All staff report concerns that they have identified Designated Agree a coordinated approach with the appropriate Safeguarding Consider… agency(ies) and involve pupils and parents. This should: Lead - Whether staff know who to report to and how • Increase protective factors and decrease risk factors - Whether staff believe their concerns will be acted on • Complete Early Help assessment ands include internal appropriately school support Share concerns - How staff are given feedback about actions taken • Involve appropriate agencies about individuals and Consider involving these agencies groups Safer Schools Officers Families First CAMHS 5. Checking it’s Working IGT IFIT TYS CSC SIPP Families First and Work with pupils , parents and partners to: local external • Monitor the agreed actions agencies 4. Implementing the Agreed Approach multi-agency planning • Evaluate the impact of Implement the agreed multi-agency coordinated approach to • Consider need for further or different action and whether support the pupil further multi-agency planning is needed Ensure effective feedback mechanisms from services working All agencies work in partnership to deliver on the agreed with pupils and families action plan 3
IMHARS – Islington Mental Health and Resilience in Schools Continuing school outreach support at Pooles Park Primary School ‘FSW Larissa has worked as our Families First link worker for 3 years. In addition to her allocated hours, she has come into school before and after hours to meet the school community on the school gates and playgrounds in order to foster meaningful relationships with vulnerable families. …she always responds to staff communications to meet to support families in school. She meets with families before they sign up to any services to ensure they understand what is on offer and available to them and to talk through any reservations/concerns. This means that families are in a better place to access the support and services, therefore take up is higher and leads to more positive outcomes for children.’ Pastoral Care Manager Maggie Ryan, Pooles Park Primary
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